Best low impact exercise
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I hear this... I used to run all the time but now I work on my feet and it's just too hard one them to walk four miles during my work day and then run four more.... I'm about to switch back to the elliptical since for me it's the foot falls on the hard pavement that do me in.0
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mgalovic01 wrote: »
It's non-weightbearing, that's true, but the impact on knees and ankles (and shoulders and neck) you get from serious cycling, even if a bike is fitted well, can be considerable. I nearly irreversibly damaged my knee joint by buying new cycling shoes that had a sole that positioned my foot and ankle slightly differently.0 -
graysmom2005 wrote: »Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
those must be doctors that know nothing about cycling. google knee injury and cycling. even slight misalignments can cause a lot of damage, especially in people who pick up a bike from a big box store and don't fit it properly.0 -
Walking incline on your treadmill. No holding on either.
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graysmom2005 wrote: »Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.
http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html0 -
Maybe I'm missing it, but where in that link does it state that cycling is "high impact"?graysmom2005 wrote: »Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.
http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
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IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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graysmom2005 wrote: »Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.
http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
Impact is not synonymous with stress/effort/strain. Impact is one type of stress. Biking is low impact, but not low stress.
For example, with my knee problems, I have to avoid impact or twisting, but straight line hinging motions of the knee are OK. I can bike or row (machine or on-water) at high intensity for long periods. But I avoid walking (long distances), jogging, aerobic dance, etc., even at lower intensities.
OP asked about low-impact exercises. (The distinction you're pointing at is useful, however - depending on the specific physical issue, that may not have been the ideal formulation of the question.)
OP, you might consider therapeutic massage or physical therapy, if you have access to it. I've had good results from those for tendinitis in other areas. Good MT or PT people will give you stretches & such to do on your own, and the PT people can assess whether the way you move is causing unnecessary strain when you walk/run.3 -
Impact refers to things like jumping and running where there is the impact of foot on ground, and where the feet and legs bear the body weight.
On the one hand, the weight bearing and impact of jumping and running, and even walking to a lesser extent, can be detrimental to the joints ... on the other hand it helps build bones.
The lack of impact and weight bearing in cycling can cause bone density issues ... especially for long distance cyclists.
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/why-cycling-is-bad-for-bone-density-and-how-you-can-improve-it
I found out about the long distance cycling bone density issues back in about 2002 when I was in my early years of long distance cycling, and when I found out about it, I incorporated walking (and especially walking with weight like a backpack or something) into my day.
The last couple years I've walked more than 1000 km/year.
Apparently weight lifting can also help increase bone density. And when it comes to cycling, there's some conjecture that mountain biking may as well ... perhaps that's because there's usually some walking involved.
Although cycling is low impact, it can cause knee problems. But the knee problems are caused by alignment issues, not impact.
A bicycle is a machine and when a person gets onto a bicycle that person becomes part of the machine. In order for a machine to be most efficient with the least wear and tear, everything has to be set up correctly ... it's engineering.
And thus, if the saddle isn't the right height, there can be knee problems. There are other adjustments which can cause (or alleviate) problems as well.0 -
MelanieCN77 wrote: »I've been running on my treadmill and really enjoying it but have developed a little tendonitis in one foot. I'd like to rest it a little but need something to replace the cardio and calorie burn that's more low impact. What do you guys like to do in that vein?
In your case, I would consider swimming or cycling. You could try rowing, but be careful how you set up the "feet things".1 -
You are using the wrong terminology.
Cycling is low impact - doesn't mean it doesn't put stress on your legs/knees but it's still low impact. Of course you can damage joints if you have misalignments or bad cycle fit - but that's still not "impact".
Think shock force like from running or jumping - that's impact.3 -
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BrianSharpe wrote: »
I found rowing mind numbingly boring.1 -
Besides the fact that you're objectively wrong on whether cycling is high, low, or mid impact, OP's issue isn't with her knee.1 -
You are using the wrong terminology.
Cycling is low impact - doesn't mean it doesn't put stress on your legs/knees but it's still low impact. Of course you can damage joints if you have misalignments or bad cycle fit - but that's still not "impact".
Think shock force like from running or jumping - that's impact.
Thank you....sheesh...graysmom2005 wrote: »Biking is extremely low impact. Usually the first thing doctors tell their knee patients to do. Rowing is amazing. Totally low impact while working 9 major muscle groups.
those doctors then don't know a thing about cycling.
http://www.aapsm.org/cycling.html
This link says nothing about cycling being high impact...
Beyond that, when PTs and the like have knee patients and ankle patients cycling...it's not like they have them out there training for a TT or the Tour de France...it's generally pretty light, easy spinning...often done in office with a PT.2 -
I had a little Sears points/cash burning a hole in my account that expires next month so I bought a mechanical indoor bike. Well reviewed, on sale for half price (lucky timing) so although it won't be here for a week I'm going to have an option for another kind of cardio. My knees haven't really troubled me yet, and I skate frequently, so I'd say cycling is going to be a good option for me.
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mgalovic01 wrote: »
It's non-weightbearing, that's true, but the impact on knees and ankles (and shoulders and neck) you get from serious cycling, even if a bike is fitted well, can be considerable. I nearly irreversibly damaged my knee joint by buying new cycling shoes that had a sole that positioned my foot and ankle slightly differently.
So your N=1 example of how a poorly fitted accessory can have an effect, does not mean that cycling is not low impact.
As with any sport there are a number of potential injury factors, including poorly fitting equipment. You can also damage your knees, on a perfectly fitted bike, by grinding in too high a gear for protracted periods of time.
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I'm with the rowing suggestion.
I have had plantar fasciitis, off and on, for many years. When it is acting up, I bicycling. I think there have been a few times when it has exacerbated my PF. But, on the whole, I find it rather easy on my feet.1 -
That's not "impact". That's misalignment. A lot of problems from running are due to the impact of your foot hitting the road with considerable force and that force being transferred up your leg to the joints. In that regard cycling is definitely "low impact". Almost no impact in fact. That's not saying you can't get injuries from cycling. You definitely can. But they're not "impact" injuries. Unless you fall off the bike and impact the road!
On the other hand, the OP needs to understand that tendinitis isn't really due to impact. It's due to overusing that particular tendon when you haven't conditioned it, or when the tendon is being stressed due to an imbalance in form or other physiology that is exacerbated by running. So they just need to find an exercise that doesn't stress that tendon in the same manner.
And yes, if you're going with clip-less pedals, get the ones with lots of float to make it less likely that you have the same problem you experienced. Speedplays used to be great for that, but I haven't cycled in a few years so I'm out of the loop there.1
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